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Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are an American ice hockey team based in the state of Colorado. The team started out in the World Hockey Association during the 1972-73 season as the Quebec Nordiques. They then joined the National Hockey League during the 1979-80 season when the WHA went out of business. The team has had several Hockey Hall of Fame members including Joe Sakic and goaltender Patrick Roy, who coached the team at one point. History Quebec Nordiques WHA (1972-79) The Quebec Nordiques were one of the seven original teams in the WHA. The team was originally going to be based in San Francisco, but funding collapsed before the first season began. The WHA then sold the team to a group of businessmen who owned the Quebec Remparts (a junior team in the QMJHL.) The team's first coach was Hockey Hall of Famer and former Montreal Canadien Maurice Richard. He stayed with the team for only two games because he felt as if coaching "wasn't his forte." At the end of the 1978-79 season, the WHA collapsed. Luckily, the Nordiques were one of four teams to merge with the NHL. The other four teams being the Edmonton Oilers, the Hartford Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes,) and the original Winnipeg Jets (now the Arizona Coyotes.) NHL (1979-95) When the Nordiques joined the NHL during the 1979-80 season, they gained a rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens. This became even more apparent during the April 20, 1984 second round playoff game in Montreal. During the second period, a bench-clearing brawl occurred, and it happened again during the warm up in the third period. A total of eleven players were ejected from the game. The game was then nicknamed "The Good Friday Massacre." The Canadiens scored 5 goals in the 3rd period, and the final score was 5-3 Montreal. The Nordiques were eliminated from the playoffs after that. Another controversy with the Nordiques happened in 1991 when Eric Lindros was drafted by Quebec first overall. Lindros refused to sign a contract for the Nordiques, saying that he wanted to play in an English speaking hockey team that would give him more endorsement opportunities. The Nordiques traded Lindros to the Philadelphia Flyers in return for Ron Hextall, Steve Duchense, Mark Ricci, Kerry Huffman, Peter Forsberg, and a 1993 first round pick. The trade would end up working in Quebec's favour, as those 5 players would contribute greatly in the 1996 and 2001 Stanley Cup Finals, both of which Quebec won when they were in Colorado. After the Nordiques were eliminated from the 1995 playoffs during the first round to the New York Rangers, the owners said they had no choice but to accept an offer from COMSAT Entertainment (who owned the NBA's Denver Nuggets) to relocate to Colorado and become the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado Avalanche (1995-present) The Avalanche started off with a bang. And by a bang, I mean they won the Stanley Cup against the Florida Panthers after their first season. They won another cup in 2001 against the New Jersey Devils. The Avalanche have yet to win another Stanley Cup after the 2001 finals. Hockey Hall of Famers * Ray Bourque, Defence, 1999–2001 * Peter Forsberg, Centre, 1995–2004, 2008 and 2011 * Patrick Roy, Goaltender, 1995–2003 * Joe Sakic, Centre, 1988–2009 * Rob Blake, Defence, 2000–2006 * Bryan Trottier, Assistant Coach, 1997-2001 * Jari Kurri, Right Wing, 1997–1998 Category:Hockey Category:Colorado Category:National Hockey Leauge